Sod-cutter.



PATENTED JULY 23, 1907.

B. W. HOPPE. SOD CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED APB.22,1907.

3 SHEET-SHEET 1.

1n: NORRIS PETERS 0a., wnsnmcmu, o, c.

.PATENTED JULYZB, 1907.

E. W. HOPPE.

SOD CUTTER. APPLICATION 111L111) APR.22,1907.

3 HBETS-SHEET 2.

57% g l /ll fl/j/f,

THE NORRIS PETE 0., wxsumarorv. u. c.

No. 861,119. PATENTED JULY 23, 1907.

- E. w. HOPPE. s01) CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED APILZZ, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHBBT 3.

' THE NORRIS PETERS co., wllsnlNcToN. n. c.

@WGmMgA.

ERNEST W. HOPPE, OF MERTON, WISCONSIN.

PATENT OFFICE.

SOD-CUTTER.

Specification of .Letters Patent.

PatentedJuly 23, .1907,

Application filed April 22,1907. Serial 110.369.4531;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it.known that l, ERNEST W. HOPPE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the town of Merton, ill-U16 countyiof Waukesha and Stateof Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsinSod-Outtersyand I do herebydeclare thatthe following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof.

The object of myinvention is to provide a simple, durable and effectivesod-cutting attachment for.sulkyplows, the construction andarrangementof its parts being such that'the sod is cut, elevatedand thoroughlyseparated'from any'soil that may adhere to its roots and thereafterdelivered to a carrier, which drops said sod fromtime to time in pilesto be afterwards collected or destroyed.

This attachment is especially designed for effectually eradicatingobnoxious grasses that cannot be destroyed by the common method ofturning under.

Said inventiontherefore consists in various details of construction andcombination of parts as hereinafter fully set forth with reference tothe accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 represents asectional elevation ofa sulky orriding plow having attached thereto a sod cutter embodying the featuresof my invention, the section being indicated by line 11 of Fig. 2, partsof the machine being broken away to better illustrate the details; Fig.2, a plan view of'the same, with parts broken away and parts in sectionto more clearly show the invention, and Figs. 3 and4 are crosssectionsof the attachment, as indicated by lines 33 and 44 of Fig. 1.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A indicates the frame of anordinary sulky-plow, which frame is supported by the usual wheels B, G,and D, the land side-wheel B being mounted upon a cranked stud axle Ethat is swiveled in a bracket F secured to the frame. The cranked end ofthe axle is raised or lowered by a hand-lever G, which lever is fast onsaid axle and is provided with a locking-detent arranged to engage asector H projecting from the bracket. The raising and lowering mechanismabove mentioned permits regulation of the elevation of the frame withrelation to the wheel B and forms no part of my invention.

A plow-beam I is connected to the frame by links J, the beam beingraised or lowered by a detented lever K, which lever is fast on a shaftL that is in crankconnection with said beam. The plow-beam carries theusual land-side plates at its lower end, and in place of the ordinarymoldboard, has secured thereto a mold-board M, the face of which ishorizontally inclined and terminates with an abruptrear edge. Secured tothe outer lower face of the mold-board is an angle-iron strut N, whichstrut together with a strut 0 form an elevator-frame that extendsupwardly and rearward from said mold-board. The strut O is pro videdwitha brace-piece-a, which terminates at" its lowerendin a curvedportion that merges-into the; said strut-body, thereby forming acurvature coinciding with the throatof the plow-beam I, to which beamsaid strut is secured by suitable bolts. The struts-are alsoconnectedtogether by cross-braces b, the rear endS of said strutsbeing-braced by a-yoke 0-, which is liung in a sleeved-bracket d'fa sttothe plow-frame; The ends of thisyoke are connectedto ears e ofstandards fth'at projectifromsaid-struts, there being similar pairs ofstandards f at intervalsthroughouttheir-length. Each of theaforesaidpairsof standards'are-slottedto receive bearing-blocks g forcrusher-rollers h, there being interposed between the blocks suitablefollowers-i and compression-springs j, which springs areadjirstable asto tensionby means of 'set-bolts'j tliateng-aged the followers and arethreaded into the headsof the standards,

Mountedin bearingsat the rear end of the elevatorframe, is a shaft Kthat carries a pair of -sprocket wheels 'm, which sprocket-wheelsserveas driversfor an endless lag-chain P. The-said chain, at itslower end,travels-over idle-rollers-n, which are located di rectly under themold-.board and'are mounted upon-a shaft 0 having its bearingsin theelevator-frame struts. The lag-chain serves as-a conveyer, whereby-thecut .sodis carried from mold-'board anddischarged into a forked carrierPat the opposite end of the elevator frame. The sod in its travel uponthe chain passes under the several spring-controlled crusher-rollers,which serve together with a vibratory motion of said chain to beat outthe soil from the roots and thus break up said sod so that it mayreadily be dried and destroyed.

The speed of the lag-chain is slightly accelerated over the'travel ofthe plow and thereby cause a draw upon the sod, which action tends tobreak the same into blocks as it passes from said mold-board.

Drive is imparted to the lag or conveyor-chain from the land-side wheelQ secured to the hub of said wheel B and meshed with a pinion R, a studof which pinion is mounted in a bracket S secured to the cranked axle.The pinion-stud carries a knuckle-jointed tumbler-rod T that is squaredand fitted into a sleeve U, which in turn is knuckle-jointed to a shaftV, which shaft has its bearings in the elevator-struts and carries asprocketwheel W fast thereon. This sprocket-wheel is in link n that aremounted upon shafts having their bearings I in the struts constitutingthe elevator-frame.

The sod-carrier P comprises a series of tangs secured to a shaft 10,which shaft is supported in bearings of a depending arm of the strut N,there being a'coiled spring p secured to the shaft, having one endlooped under an adjacent fork-tang and the opposite end thereof engagingthe depending strut-arm. The spring 1) serves to support the carrier andload, said carrier being prevented from rising above a vertical positionby a stop 10, which projects in the path of an adjacent tang of theaforesaid carrier. The carrier-shaft is in universal slip-jointconnection with a rod q that has a forward bearing in a bracket fast tothe frame A,

there being a foot-treadle 1* fast on the end of the rod whereby thedriver may, at will, cause the carrier to drop the sod accumulatedthereon. From the foregoing it will be seen that the sod drops outsideof the line of the next furrow and is not covered thereby,

the universal slip-joint connection permitting adjustment of the plowwith relation .to the frame, it being understood however that any formof dumping-carrier may be substituted for that shown.

An outwardly curved deflector t is secured to the strut N and extendsthroughout the length of the elevator-frame. This deflector serves tocatch the loose dirt as it is freed from the sod in its upward traveland delivers said dirt outside of the line of cut of the plow, or clearof the unbroken ground.

From the foregoing described mechanism it will be understood that thesod-cutting attachment may readily be applied to sulky-plows of ordinaryconstruction, it being only necessary to attach the elevator-frame tothe plow-beam and brace the same by the swinging yoke, the gear wheel,pinion and accompanying bracket S being secured to the cranked axle.This arrangement of the attachment does not in any way interfere withthe freedom in adjusting the plow to different depths of cut, as wouldbe required either in plowing or sod-cutting. When the attachment isdisconnected from the plow, it is apparent that the usualmold-board'must be substituted for that shown.

I claim:

1. In a plow, having a wheel-supported frame and a plow-beam inadjustable connection with the frame, the combination of an inclinedelevator-frame in rigid connection with the plow-beam, shafts supportedin the elevatorirame at either end thereof, sprocket-wheels carried byone of said shafts, idle-rollers mounted upon the opposite shaft, anendless conveyer-chain carried by the sprocketwheels and idlers,spring-controlled crusher-rollers mounted in said elevator-frame abovethe conveyor-chain, and a driving-mechanism for .the conveyer-chain inconnection with one of the wheels of the plow-frame.

2. In a plow, provided with a supporting-frame, and a plow-beam inadjustable connection with said frame, the combination of an inclinedelevator-frame in rigid connection with the plow-beam, a travelingconveyer-chain carried by the elevator-frame, compressed crusher-rollersabove the conveyer-chain, driving-gears for said convey'erchain inadjustable connection with one of the supportingwheels of theplow-frame, a swinging-yoke connecting the said elevator and plowframes, and a dumping-carrier in connection with the rear ordischarge-end of the aforesaid elevator-frame.

3. In a sulky-plow provided with a frame, supportingwheels therefor, anda plow-beam in adjustable connection with the frame; the combination ofan attachment comprising an inclined elevator-frame in rigid connectionwith the plow-beam, an endless conveyer-chain carried by the elevator,and driving-means for the chain in universal adjustable connection withsaid elevator-frame and one of the supporting-wheels.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand atMilwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in thepresence 01 two witnesses.

ERNEST W. HOPPE.

Witnesses N. E. OLIPHANI, Ron'r. KoERBrm.

